The Arizona Wildcats enter this game ranked 5th in the AP Poll and 5th in the Coaches Poll with an overall record of 23-6. They are also in 1st place in the Pac-12 Conference with a conference record of 14-4 and have won their last three games in a row, including Saturday’s 103-83 win at home against the Oregon Ducks.
The success of the Wildcats this season can be attributed to their offensive play. They enter this game ranked 2nd nationally in scoring, with an average of 89.89 points per game. Defensively, Arizona has been a below-average team as they rank 211th in points allowed with an average of 72.93 points per game, more than the national average of 72.04 points per game. Oumar Ballo enters this game averaging a double-double with 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while also leading the team in blocks with an average of 1 block per game.
The UCLA Bruins enter this game with an overall record of 14-15 and are tied with the Utah Utes for 5th place in the Pac-12 Conference with a conference record of 9-9 while having lost their last four games in a row, including Saturday’s 65-77 loss on the road against the 19th-ranked Washington State Cougars.
The Bruins have been one of the lower-scoring teams in college basketball this season, ranking 335th nationally in scoring with an average of 66.25 points per game. Defensively, UCLA has been one of the better teams in college basketball this season, allowing an average of 65.11 points per game, which ranks 21st nationally. Sebastian Mack has been one of the better players for the Bruins this season and leads the team in scoring and assists with an average of 12.8 points and 1.4 steals per game.
